repost @afropunk: According to reports, U.S. officials are stopping and detaining travelers based on the content of their text messages— specifically if they’re critical of President Trump.
A French scientist with the CNRS was denied U.S. entry after CBP officers at a Houston airport searched his phone and found messages critical of President Trump, labeling them “hateful and conspiratorial”; an FBI probe followed but was closed before he was deported. Similarly, in February 2025, Russian scientist Kseniia Petrova of Harvard Medical School was detained by ICE at Boston Logan Airport over a customs error involving frog embryo samples, though officials also cited her anti-Putin activism; she now faces deportation but is seeking asylum due to fears of political persecution.
These cases reflect growing concerns over privacy, free speech, and the targeting of foreign researchers under heightened U.S. immigration scrutiny. While Customs and Border Protection says it’s part of national security efforts, this raises serious questions about our freedom of expression. Swipe for more details from @washingtonpost
SOURCE: Washington Post, Afropunk
